He said students would "start taking classes closer to home, then transfer, coming either south to Norwalk Community College or traveling north to
Western Connecticut State University
or attending another school."

First Selectman Rudy Marconi sees many benefits in having a community college center in town. For one thing, he envisions smarter high school students taking college-level courses.

"If Ridgefield (Advanced Placement) students could take introduction to calculus or introduction to philosophy and get credit at Norwalk Community College as well as at the high school, it would be a win-win situation," said Marconi. "It would give our kids a chance to stand apart from the rest of the graduating seniors in the country" when they apply to four-year colleges.

Marconi said that having Norwalk open a classroom facility in Norwalk could bring revenue to the town. Additionally, he said, the local courses "could reduce the financial burden of college for parents, allowing kids to take freshman-level classes in town while continuing to live at home."

Some high school students in the region already earn credit for college courses.

Seniors at Danbury's
Alternative Center for Education
can take a semester-long course for college credit at Western Connecticut State University. High school students in the region who plan to become teachers also can benefit from college level courses at WestConn.

About four years ago, Norwalk and
Naugatuck community college
s had a joint classroom program in Danbury, but state budget cuts forced officials to abandon it.

Currently, Naugatuck Community College is again offering a few classes in Danbury. Cantor sees an off-campus site in Ridgefield as an excellent companion to the Danbury offerings.

He would like to see the Ridgefield program coordinate with the Danbury program to maximize the number of college courses offered in the region.

In the meantime, Cantor is talking with Marconi about the best place to offer the Ridgefield classes.

"Ideally, it would be adjacent to a HART bus stop, and parking would be a major consideration," Cantor said. "It would be great if it could be within walking distance to the library."

He added: "I think a Ridgefield location is going to a popular one. Traveling south to get to Norwalk for classes is a challenge."